Alvord running back Cutter Hamilton stiff-arms Tom Bean defensive back Brayden Bomar during the teams’ Week 7 District 6-2A Division I battle Oct. 10 at Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs (5-2, 4-0) host a league showdown against Tioga 7 p.m. Thursday. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
The Alvord Bulldogs will put their unbeaten District 6-2A record on the line in a Week 9 pivotal league matchup that could have an impact on the team’s hopes for league championship.
Alvord (5-2, 4-0) squares off against Tioga in the newest chapter of the team’s rivalry 7 p.m. Thursday at Bulldog Stadium.
“It’s a big game because it’s another district game,” Alvord coach Matt Fanning said. “There’s obviously both district title implications, district title implications and all of those things riding on it. But at this point in district, you better look at every game like that.”
Tioga (3-3) climbed to 2-1 in district play after defeating Whitewright in Week 7 — 73-6 — before observing its bye this week.
“Tioga’s obviously a really good football team,” Fanning said. “They’re really fast and have speed everywhere, and they were well-represented at the 2A state track meet last year. Coach [Zach] Birdwell and his staff do a good job of getting their guys prepared to compete, and they always have an expectation to win.”
Last season, Tioga handed Alvord a 50-24 home loss which started a 3-game losing streak stretching to the Bulldogs’ 48-7 defeat against De Leon in a 2AI bi-district playoff matchup.
Fanning wants the Bulldogs to play their style of football in order to move to 5-0 and continue building momentum before Alvord’s district finale against Wolfe City 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at Don Howard Stadium.
“We really just need to go out there and be ourselves — execute our game plan, be clean, eliminate mistakes, win the turnover battle, take what they give us offensively and slow them down defensively enough to get a few stops,” Fanning said. “They do a really good job in the screen game and with the quarterback run, and they can threaten you vertically, too. So we’re going to have to be all over them from the start.”
Alvord claimed its fourth league win by blowing out Whitewright 41-6 at Tiger Stadium last week.
After a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Zane Fuentes, Bulldog quarterback Dalton George threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter — connecting with wide receivers Brayden Clark (12), Callum Taylor (38) and Zane Smith (47) to give Alvord a 27-0 lead at halftime.
George finished with 210 passing yards and three scores on 9-of-12 passing, with one interception.
“We may not put up big numbers in the passing game every game, but Dalton enabled us to be incredibly efficient,” Fanning said. He played outstanding, and that’s why he’s starting to draw some interest. He can throw a collegiate-level ball, and has the ability to read defenses and make adjustments on the fly.”
Fuentes and running back Cutter Hamilton tacked on touchdown runs in the third quarter, measuring 35 and 4 yards, respectively.
Whitewright’s only score of the game came with 3:28 left in the contest, as running back Nolan Rigby punched in an 8-yard score.
Fuentes led Alvord’s rushing attack with 163 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.
Alvord wide receivers Beckham Taylor and Jeremy Watson combined for 116 yards on six catches.
Harris line: Tioga by 3
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